Goat Milk

U.S. dairy shipments grew 2% year-on-year in August measured in milk solids equivalent and generated US$919 million, up 10%. Cheese expanded again, while NFDM/SMP and WPC80+ fell back on limited exportable supply.

U.S. dairy exports returned to positive territory in August after two months of decline.

August marked a partial reversal of the 4% combined contraction recorded in June and July, according to data released by the U.S. Dairy Export Council (USDEC). Export value rose 10% from August 2025, while the recovery varied substantially by product category.

Cheese grows 9%, but loses speed
Cheese shipments reached 59,007 tonnes, an annual increase of 9%, or about 5,113 tonnes. It was the first month since March in which exports fell below 60,000 tonnes. USDEC said the price advantage enjoyed by American cheese over international competitors had begun to narrow, after unusually strong growth through much of 2025 and the early months of 2026.

Latin America sustains progress
Latin America supplied much of the cheese growth. Cheese shipments to Mexico increased by 19%, adding roughly 3,095 tonnes; exports to South America rose 35%, or 1,035 tonnes; and deliveries to Central America grew 17%, adding 1,009 tonnes. By contrast, sales to South Korea, the second-largest market for U.S. cheese according to USDEC, fell 12%. Australia declined 10%, while shipments to the Middle East and North Africa decreased 23%.

Milk fat loses strength
Total dairy-fat exports fell 6% year on year in August. Butter shipments dropped 12%, a reduction of 975 tones, while anhydrous milk fat rose 11% and recorded its 26th consecutive month of annual growth. European demand weakened as local supply improved and prices fell. Mexico was a notable exception: U.S. dairy-fat shipments there jumped 1,050% in August, an increase of 2,222 tones. For the year to date, exports to Mexico were up 126%, or 11,318 tones, from the same period in 2025.

Powdered milk is still the weak point
Skimmed milk powder, also known as NFDM/SMP, remained the weakest major category. Exports fell 19%, with the reduction approaching 10,916 tones. USDEC attributed the result mainly to restricted export availability in the United States and less competitive prices. Southeast Asian buyers turned more heavily to New Zealand and the European Union: shipments to the Philippines fell 90%, those to Vietnam declined 85%, and deliveries to Malaysia decreased 78%.

WPC80+ is also limited by the offer
Exports of whey protein concentrate containing at least 80% protein, or WPC80+, shipments decreased 21%, equivalent to 1,422 tones. Brazil recorded a 79% decline, while Japan and Canada reduced purchases by 38% and 25% respectively. USDEC also cited limited export supply for this result. In contrast, milk-protein concentrate exports rose 36% to 5,225 tones, their highest monthly volume in almost four years. Shipments to Brazil increased 533%, adding 673 tones, and sales to Japan rose from 2 tones in August 2025 to 222 tones a year later. USDEC said some producers of protein-fortified foods may be using milk-protein concentrate as an alternative when WPC80+ is less available and more expensive.

Lower-protein whey products also performed strongly. Shipments increased 25%, or 11,487 tonnes, across powdered whey, lower-protein concentrates and modified whey. Canada raised purchases by 183%, while Southeast Asia increased them by 46%. The August figures therefore showed different outcomes within the protein market, with supply, relative prices and the ability to substitute one ingredient for another affecting the distribution of sales. The data covered U.S. exports in August 2026 and were sourced from USDEC.

The United States Department of Agriculture said enrollment for the 2027 Dairy Margin Coverage programme will officially run from October 5 through December 18. Agriculture secretary Brooke Rollins announced the schedule during a September 30 visit to World Dairy Expo. The application period is longer than the one-month window used in 2026.

The programme raises the Tier 1 production limit to 6 million pounds and offers a 25% premium discount to producers who maintain coverage through 2031.

Dairy Margin Coverage provides payments when the difference between the national all-milk price and the national average feed-ration cost falls below a margin selected by a producer. Under the programme’s statutory reauthorisation through the Working Families Tax Cut Act, baseline protection is available through the 2031 calendar year.

The revised rules increase the annual milk-production limit for the least expensive Tier 1 coverage from 5 million pounds to 6 million pounds. Producers may also update their historical production records to account for changes such as herd improvements, expanded facilities and higher yields per cow. Farms that commit to uninterrupted protection through 2031 qualify for a 25% reduction in annual Tier 1 premiums.

Farm incomes have faced pressure from the relationship between milk revenue and feed expenses. Producers last received direct programme payments in January and February, while grain-market conditions and soybean-meal prices have affected operating cash flow. Industry projections cited in the source indicate that higher feed costs during the autumn could lead to further payments before the end of the year. The programme allows margin protection up to $9.50 per hundredweight.

Other federal farm measures have expanded eligibility under the Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage programmes by adding as many as 30 million base acres nationwide. Alfalfa was not included as a primary covered commodity, but producers could assign up to 15% of tillable acreage planted with eligible non-programme crops between 2019 and 2023. Grass hay was excluded from the allocation. The treatment of perennial forage has prompted discussions about possible administrative changes.

US livestock authorities are also gradually restoring cattle movements across the southern border after a 15-month interruption linked to New World screwworm outbreaks. Inspection services have resumed at Douglas, Arizona, and Santa Teresa, New Mexico. A third facility at Columbus, New Mexico, is due to reopen if containment indicators remain favourable. More than 1.5m feeder cattle historically crossed the border each year. A Mexican biosecurity facility is expected to produce 100 million sterile flies by the end of the year, while a second facility in south Texas is planned for launch next spring.

“The containment strategy is working while we build those new facilities,” Rollins said. “The resumption of trade continues. It will take us a while to get back to that 1.5 million head crossing, maybe a couple of years. Until then we will just keep building up.”

A comprehensive analysis involving 483,090 participants from the United States, United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, Australia, and Japan examined the relationship between yogurt consumption and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Consuming an additional 50 grams of yogurt daily reduced the reported risk of illness by 7%. The analysis did not determine that yogurt alone can prevent diabetes.

Yoghurt is made by fermenting milk with living bacteria. The main cultures are Lactobacillus delbrueckii subspecies. bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus, while some products contain additional probiotic strains. Fermentation makes yoghurt a source of live microorganisms alongside its protein and calcium.

Research on fermented foods has also examined a broader range of metabolic indicators. Another analysis involving more than 27,000 people found that higher intake of foods containing active microorganisms was associated with better blood pressure, blood sugar, insulin, triglycerides, HDL cholesterol, and waist circumference measurements.

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One area of investigation concerns the relationship between microorganisms in fermented foods and the intestinal microbiota. María Elena Torresani, a nutrition doctor and member of PROFENI, said the observed effects did not appear to be linked only to the nutrients in these foods. She also pointed to the possible role of live microorganisms and their interaction with the intestine.

Nutrition specialist Mónica Katz said that the connection between the microbiota and chronic diseases is currently one of the most active areas of research. A diverse and healthy microbiota has been associated with the regulation of metabolic, inflammatory and immune processes, although the extent of these relationships remains under study.

The yoghurt findings also showed that regular consumers tend to have more favorable metabolic profiles, including less abdominal obesity and differences in microbiota composition. These observations do not identify a quantity of yoghurt that can independently prevent type 2 diabetes. The disease develops through multiple factors, and the results were described in the context of overall diet and lifestyle.

Try this if you love yogurt.